Vinegar needs to be sprayed directly onto a surface for it to be effective in killing anything and even then it does not kill everything it needs to kill. Personally, I think that using any kind of vinegar solution to clean cages is a waste of time and nothing but a fake 'green' fad. Warm water with a splash of dish detergent and the tiniest bit of Clorox is much more effective and it doesn't leave things smelling of salad dressing.